The present invention relates generally to a postage metering system and method for printing postage indicia using a personal computer and, more particularly, to a postage metering system and method for printing postage indicia in a network of personal computers.
The Information-Based Indicia Program (xe2x80x9cIBIPxe2x80x9d) is a distributed trusted system proposed by the United States Postal Service (xe2x80x9cUSPSxe2x80x9d) to retrofit and augment existing postage meters using new technology known as information-based indicia. The program relies on digital signature techniques to produce for each envelope an indicium whose origin cannot be repudiated and content cannot be modified. IBIP is expected to support new methods of applying postage in addition to the current approach, which typically relies on a postage meter to mechanically print indicia on mailpieces. IBIP requires printing a large, high density, two-dimensional (xe2x80x9c2-Dxe2x80x9d) bar code on a mailpiece. The 2-D bar code encodes information and is signed with a digital signature.
The USPS has published draft specifications for IBIP. The INFORMATION BASED INDICIA PROGRAM (IBIP) INDICIUM SPECIFICATION, dated Jun. 13, 1996, and revised Jul. 23, 1997, (xe2x80x9cIBIP Indicium Specificationxe2x80x9d) defines the proposed requirements for a new indicium that will be applied to mail being processed using IBIP. The INFORMATION BASED INDICIA PROGRAM POSTAL SECURITY DEVICE SPECIFICATION, dated Jun. 13, 1996, and revised Jul. 23, 1997, (xe2x80x9cIBIP PSD Specificationxe2x80x9d) defines the proposed requirements for a Postal Security Device (xe2x80x9cPSDxe2x80x9d) that will provide security services to support the creation of a new xe2x80x9cinformation basedxe2x80x9d postage postmark or indicium that will be applied to mail being processed using IBIP. The INFORMATION BASED INDICIA PROGRAM HOST SYSTEM SPECIFICATION, dated Oct. 9, 1996, defines the proposed requirements for a host system element of IBIP (xe2x80x9cIBIP Host Specificationxe2x80x9d). The specifications are collectively referred to herein as the xe2x80x9cIBIP Specificationsxe2x80x9d. IBIP includes interfacing user (user), postal and vendor infrastructures which are the system elements of the program. The INFORMATION BASED INDICIA PROGRAM KEY MANAGEMENT PLAN SPECIFICATION, dated Apr. 25, 1997, defines the generation, distribution, use and replacement of the cryptographic keys used by the USPS product/service provider and PSDs (xe2x80x9cIBIP KMS Specificationxe2x80x9d).
The user infrastructure, which resides at the user""s site, comprises a PSD coupled to a host system (xe2x80x9cHostxe2x80x9d) with printer. The PSD is a secure processor-based accounting device that dispenses and accounts for postal value stored therein.
The IBIP Indicium Specification provides requirements for the indicium that consists of both human-readable data and PDF417 bar code data. The human-readable information includes an originating address, including the 5-digit ZIP Code of the licensing post office, PSD ID/Type number, date of mailing and amount of the applied postage. The bar code region of the indicium elements includes postage amount, PSD ID, user ID, date of mailing, originating address, destination delivery point identification, ascending and descending registers and a digital signature.
An integrated mailing system is subject to open system requirements if it includes a computer interfaced to the meter and it prepares mailpiece fronts or labels that include both the destination address and the indicium. The integrated system is an open system even if different printers apply the address and the indicium. If the mailing system satisfies such criteria, the USPS considers the xe2x80x9cmeterxe2x80x9d to be an open system peripheral device that performs the dual functions of printing the indicia and interfacing the PSD to the Host. The integrated mailing system must be approved by the USPS according to open system criteria.
The IBIP Host Specification sets forth the requirements for a Host in an open system. The Host produces the mailpiece front including the return address (optional), the delivery address (required), the Facing Identification Mark (xe2x80x9cFIMxe2x80x9d), and the indicium as an integral unit. The Host may print this unit on the actual mailpiece stock or label(s) for later attachment to the mailpiece. The Host provides the user with an option to omit the FIM (e.g., when the FIM is preprinted on envelopes). The Host produces standardized addresses, including standard POSTNET delivery point bar code, for use on the mailpiece. The Host verifies each address at the time of mailpiece creation. The Host then creates the indicium and transmits it to the printer.
The IBIP Specifications define a stand-alone open metering system, referred to herein as a PC Meter or Stand-alone PC Meter. The Stand-alone PC meter has one personal computer (xe2x80x9cPCxe2x80x9d) which operates as the Host (xe2x80x9cHost PCxe2x80x9d). The Host PC runs the metering application software and associated libraries (collectively referred to herein as xe2x80x9cHost Applicationsxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cPC Meter Toolkitxe2x80x9d) and communicates with one or more attached PSDs. The Stand-alone PC Meter can only access PSDs coupled to the Host PC. There is no remote PSD access for the Stand-alone PC Meter.
The Stand-alone PC Meter processes transactions for dispensing postage, registration, and refill on the Host PC. Processing is performed locally between the Host and the PSD coupled thereto. Connections to a Data Center, for example for registration and refill transactions, are made locally from the Host through a local or network modem/internet connection. Accounting for debits and credits to the PSD are also performed locally, logging the transactions on the Host PC, which is the PC where the transactions are processed on and to which the PSD is attached. Thus, the accounting of funds and transaction processing are centralized on a single PC. The Host PC may accommodate more than one PSD, for example supporting one PSD per serial port. Several application programs running on the Host PC, such as a word processor or an envelope designer, may access the Host metering software.
The IBIP Specifications do not address an IBIP open metering system on a network environment. However, the specifications do not prohibit such a network-based system. Generally, in a network environment a network Server PC controls remote printing requested by a Client PC on the network. Of course, the Client PC controls any local printing.
One version of a network metering system, referred to herein as a xe2x80x9cVirtual Meterxe2x80x9d, has many Host PCs without any PSDs coupled thereto. The Host PCs run client applications, but all PSD functions are performed on Server PCs located at a Data Center. The Host PCs must connect with the Data Center to process transactions such as postage dispensing, meter registration, or meter refills. Transactions are requested by the Host PC and sent to the Data Center for remote processing. The transactions are processed centrally at the Data Center and the results are returned to the Host PC. Accounting for funds and transaction processing are centralized at the Data Center. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,038, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The Virtual Meter does not conform to all the current requirements of the IBIP Specifications. In particular, the IBIP Specifications do not permit PSD functions to be performed at the Data Center.
It has been found that an open metering system, which conforms to the IBIP Specifications, can be implemented on a conventional local area, or wide area, network to form a xe2x80x9cNetwork PC Metering Systemxe2x80x9d. The Network PC Metering System includes a plurality of Client PCs operatively coupled to a Network Server PC as part of a conventional network. The Network PC Metering System is configured with at least one PSD coupled to at least one of the Client PCs, whereby authorized ones of the other Client PCs on the network can obtain postage value from a PSD that is remote from the requesting Client PC. Any Client PC may have one or more PSDs attached thereto. Each Client PC has access, if authorized, to both its own local PSD(s), if any, and any other Client PC""s PSD(s) (xe2x80x9cremote PSDsxe2x80x9d) in the network.
Each Client PC runs its own client metering application to dispense postage and to perform registration and refill operations. For each PSD in the Network PC Metering System, the Client PC to which the PSD is coupled controls processing transactions for dispensing postage and registration and refill of the PSD. When performing such operations, the Client PC functions as a server for the metering transaction, and is referred to herein as a xe2x80x9cMeter Server PCxe2x80x9d. In a preferred embodiment of the Network PC Metering System the accounting for debits and credits to the PSD and the logging of transactions are performed on the Meter Server PC. Thus, the transaction processing is performed remotely when a Client PC is accessing a remote PSD. In alternate embodiments, the logging of transactions is performed on a network server to which the Client PCs are connected (xe2x80x9cNetwork Server PCxe2x80x9d).
In the preferred embodiment, modems or internet connections for accessing the Data Center are located in the Meter Server PC. In alternate embodiments, the modem may be located in the PSD or the Client PC and the Internet connection may be in the Client PC.
It has also been found that the Network PC Metering System can be configured such that each Client PC dynamically knows which remote PSDs are available for use by such Client PC, and that each Meter Server PC, i.e., each Client PC with a PSD coupled thereto, dynamically knows which Client PCs are on-line that are authorized to use the PSD coupled to the Meter Server PC.
There are several benefits that are realized from the present invention. One such benefit relates to the postal regulations requiring that the postage printed on a metered mailpiece must be obtained from a meter licensed from the local post office at which the mailpiece is deposited for mailing, commonly referred to as xe2x80x9corigin of depositxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cdomainxe2x80x9d. With a plurality of PSDs accessible over a computer network, a user at a Client PC is not limited to a single PSD having a single origin of deposit or domain. For example, while most users of a network metering system located in Shelton, Conn. may be willing to deposit their mailpieces in the Post Office in Shelton, Conn., other users may intend to deposit their mailpieces at different origins of deposit, such as Stamford, Conn. Furthermore, some of the users may be at a Client PC that is physically located in Stamford, Conn. but is connected to a network server physically located in Shelton Conn. The present invention provides each user of a Client PC on the network with access to several PSDs having different origins of deposit.
Another benefit of the present invention is that mailpiece generation does not have to be interrupted because of PSD funds limitation. For example, when a large mail run requires more postal value than is stored on a single PSD, the user can access another PSD on the network to complete the mail run without having to interrupt the mail run to refill the PSD that is low on funds.
The present invention provides a postage metering system that includes a plurality of computers operatively connected as part of a computer network and operating as client computers on the computer network. At least one postal security device (PSD) is coupled to at least one of the client computers (local client computer). The PSD includes unique identification and the ability to store postal value and generate digital signatures. The client computers function as a postage metering network wherein a client computer other than the local client computer (remote client computer) requests evidence of postage payment from the PSD for concluding a postage metering transaction. The local client computer functions as a meter server and the remote client computer functions as a meter client on the postage metering network. The remote client computer initiates a postage metering transaction in the PSD by sending a request for evidence of postage payment to the local client computer. The local client computer sends the request for the evidence of postage payment to the PSD, receives transaction information from the PSD and sends the evidence of payment to the remote client computer for subsequent printing.